1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cooling apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for cooling radiation targets.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past it has been customary to cool the targets of positive ion accelerators, lasers, and the like, by means of a high velocity flow of coolant, usually water, over the heated target. It is known that improved heat transfer from target to coolant at the same flow rate can be obtained if one, instead, sprays a high velocity jet of the coolant onto the rear of the target. Jet spray cooling is more efficient because the fluid boundary layer at the heat transfer surface is minimized. However, the jet spray cooling technique suffers from the disadvantage that ambient air or gas can become trapped as bubbles in the coolant spray. It appears that this problem, until now, has precluded use of a jet spray with a system for recirculating the unvaporized liquid coolant, as no such apparatus is known to date.